Retail: Beer shop, running store to open on Hillsborough Street

And come December, two shops – one with running gear and the other with craft beer – will open side by side in a split space on the downtown end of Raleigh’s Hillsborough Street.

Runologie and State of Beer, separate entities starting together, hope to bring life to a quiet area and help bridge the gap between Glenwood South and Fayetteville Street.

“Having Runologie next door is going to be such a bonus for us,” said State of Beer owner Chris Powers. “Our hours will be a little different, but I hope it will give people a chance to spend a little more time on this part of Hillsborough Street.”

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The store will carry items like jackets, running tights, T-shirts, headbands, scarves, water bottles, beer mugs and wine glasses, and is teaming with handbag designer Holly Aiken to create a bag specifically for Runologie. Prices will range from about $25 for T-shirts to about $120 for shoes.

The place also aims to create an environment that inspires and encourages runners of all skill levels – especially beginners – to reach their goals.

“Laura and I run competitively but really enjoy working with beginning runners and walkers,” said Fowler Meeker, who has done 21 marathons. “We really want them to ... feel comfortable coming in and getting into their first pair of shoes and (we want to) help them run their first mile. We want to reach people who don’t have a clue about running.”

She also wants to connect with the downtown Raleigh running community and hopes to establish running clubs with places such as nearby Exploris Middle School, Campbell University’s law school, Citrix and State of Beer, the craft bottle shop opening next door.

“We do see a need for it,” Fowler Meeker said of the running shop. “It’s such a passion of both of ours. It’s part of our every day life. I live in the heart of downtown. Every day you see people running and it just seems like such a great area to tap.”

State of Beer will carry local craft brews, along with “a curated list of a bunch of beers from around the world,” said Powers, who co-owns State of Beer, Busy Bee Cafe and Trophy Brewing with Woody Lockwood and Fowler Meeker’s husband David Meeker, the son of former Raleigh mayor Charles Meeker.

The bottle shop’s beer selection will include Trophy and others made especially for State of Beer by different Raleigh breweries.

The space will seat about 15 to 20 and have a 30-foot bar with 12 taps, along with an outdoor beer garden with room for about 40. Customers will also have the option of buying beer to go.

State of Beer hopes to incorporate concepts used at Trophy Brewing and Busy Bee. In addition to beer, the place will offer sandwiches that will change – like the menu at Trophy – and include some once served at Busy Bee. Powers said they’ll be made with organic ingredients from North Carolina farmers such as Raleigh City Farms and Melvins Gardens.

Together, Runologie and State of Beer are about 4,000 square feet, with each place using about 2,000.

And like Runologie, State of Beer hopes to bring people from nearby place such as Campbell to an area that has room to grow.

“We think it’s going to be a great partnership,” Powers said of Runologie. “A lot of runners enjoy craft beer ... and we are excited to be part of the renewed energy to this area of Hillsborough Street. A lot of people joke that this part of Hillsborough Street is the dead zone. We hope to change this.”

State of Beer and Runologie will be at 401A and 401B Hillsborough Street.

Restaurant First Watch is opening in Raleigh Monday.

The breakfast, brunch and lunch cafe will offer dishes such as pancakes, omelets, a quinoa bowl with pesto, chicken, tomato and feta, French toast, salads and sandwiches that include a veggie burger ad a BLT with a fried egg.

The 3,300-square-foot space will seat 106 and have an outdoor covered patio.

First Watch, the first in North Carolina, will be at 6109 Glenwood Ave. in the former Boston Market spot, near Pleasant Valley Promenade.

T.MAC restaurant and sports bar is opening at Waverly Place in Cary Oct. 5.

The place will have 79 televisions, 100 taps with 40 from North Carolina, 100 bottled beers and a menu with dishes such as baked macaroni and cheese, burgers, wings, chicken tenders and salads.

The space, which includes an outdoor patio, will be about 8,450 square feet and seat about 183.

T.MAC will be at 309 Colonades Way.

Golf retailer Golf Galaxy has opened in Cary.

The 35,000-square-foot shop will have 1,200 square feet of putting greens, an indoor range, club fitting and technicians, women’s section and apparel and equipment in brands such as Callaway, Cobra, Nike, PING and TaylorMade.

Golf Galaxy is at 1030 Parkside Main St., in Parkside Town Commons.

Specialty grocery store The Fresh Market will open in Durham later this year.

The chain features extensive deli, meat, seafood, candy, coffee, wine and bakery selections, along with fresh breads and desserts. The Parkway Plaza location will be the 21st Fresh Market in North Carolina.

Mixed-use development Bradford, which includes apartments, townhouses and retail space in Cary, is opening several new shops in the next few months.

Expected to open this winter are Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, a 2,750-square-foot franchise that offers treatments such as hot stone massages, hair removal and microdermabrasion; Tijuana Flats, a 2,462-square-foot Mexican restaurant chain that offers items such as burritos and quesadillas; nail salon Bellagio Nail Bar; and shipping and packaging company PostalAnnex+.